“In the summer of 2012, I was 34 years old and weighed 530 pounds – I wore an XXXXXL size shirt, and was constantly in and out of the hospital. Plagued with chronic weight-related health problems like diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, my doctor told me I wouldn’t survive past 40 years old … 40 years just wasn’t enough for me, so I decided to make a change.
Fueled by a missed opportunity to go on a camping trip, I made a deal with my friend Gary. If I could lose enough weight (and improve my overall health) by the following year, we would go on the trip again – and this time I would be able to make it! Each afternoon, Gary and I (and other coworkers) went for a walk – and each week I weighed myself to monitor my progress. At first, I didn’t even want to wear an activity tracker because I didn’t want everyone to see how little I could do.
A few months later, my newfound energy and motivation allowed me to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime camping trip with Gary. After the trip, I continued this newly active lifestyle and have now lost over 200 pounds. I love wearing my tracker to keep track of my daily activity, and I continue to walk the Spansion trail every day. In addition to losing the weight, I have reduced my daily medications from 8 to 2! I now wear an XXL-sized shirt, and have all but eliminated my diabetes.”